Chinese men cheat pigeon race using high-speed train, found guilty of fraud

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Two men in China were found guilty of fraud after they cheated in a pigeon race with the help of a high-speed train. They were sentenced in a Shanghai court this week.

The men, identified as Gong and Zhang, entered the 16th Annual Shanghai Homing Pigeon Race held back on April 29 to May 1 this year. The route was from a local city in the Henan province, all the way to Shanghai, China local media Legal Daily via Shanghaiist reported on Wednesday, Aug. 29.

Four of the duo’s pigeons took the top four spots. But it turned out that the two cheated: they trained their birds  to fly to a designated place near the starting line on April 29. From there, Gong and Zhang stuffed the birds in milk cartons, then smuggled them to a high-speed train to Shanghai.

Gong and Zhang then released the birds to their breeding sites on May 1, therefore winning the race. The two won the prize of 1.09 million yuan (almost P7.9 million), although they reportedly declined to take it home after their win was questioned.

Their competitors were doubtful about how the pigeons won the race. Gong and Zhang then started to lie about their birds dying or disappearing. The competitors filed a complaint at the Shanghai Pigeon Racing Association.

The two were slapped with a three-year suspension from competing in the race. Both also received fines: Gong for 30,000 yuan (arounf P234,000) and Zhang for 20,000 yuan (around P156,000). Katrina Hallare/JB

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